18 must-try dishes when you're on Kauai

From fresh-caught poke to a piping bowl of saimin, here is our roundup of not-to-be-missed dishes.

By Brittany Lyte Oct 24, 2016

From fresh-caught poke to a piping bowl of saimin, the Garden Isle is a culinary destination marked by the bold flavors of Asia and the Pacific. Read on for our roundup of not-to-be-missed dishes found across Kauai.

1. Kauai Shrimp Dumplings

Kauai Grill at The St. Regis Princeville Resort

These pillowy dumplings stuffed with fresh-caught shrimp are comfort food extraordinaire. Served with shiitake mushroom, ginger and lobster sauce, every bite brings a punch of flavor.

2. Coconut Coast Fish Tacos

Lava Lava Beach Club

When tempura mahi mahi, salsa fresca, coconut slaw and wasabi aioli join together in a taco shell, it’s an indisputable party for your taste buds.

3. Pork Tenderloin

Gaylord’s at Kilohana

This meal of oven-roasted, Hawaiian chili pepper-rubbed pork tenderloin is served with mushroom relish, wild rice, steamed bok choy and Wi demi-glaze made from an indigenous Hawaiian fruit.

4. Classic Fondue

Art Cafe Hemingway

Best shared with friends and family, this bubbling bowl of white wine blended with velvety cheeses is served over fire with a side plate of sliced sausage, apple, homemade bread and other treats for dunking.

5. Crab Crusted Scallops

Eating House 1849

Paired with the chef’s spin on sushi rice musubi, this vibrant dish of the sea is served on a sumptuous bed of smoked unagi cream sauce.

6. Fried Brussels Sprouts

Rum Fire at Sheraton Kauai Resort

Tossed with Portuguese sausage, spiced macadamia nuts and miso vinaigrette, these salty cruciferous veggies are packed with flavor and protein.

7. Nola Poi Bowl

Fresh Bite

Poi—the starchy, purplish paste made of pounded taro root—is a staple of the traditional Hawaiian diet. This riff on the traditional dish is cut with coconut milk, transforming an ordinarily sour food into a delightfully sweet treat. Similar to an acai bowl, this dish comes topped with homemade granola and fresh seasonal fruit.

9. Ahi Poke Nachos

Ahi poke is a raw fish salad that's akin to eating a cheeseburger in Hawaii because it's simple, delicious and ubiquitous. In this spin on a local favorite, the raw squares of fresh tuna come layered over a bed of crispy nacho chips, christening a Hawaii-style comfort food that has become Nanea Restaurant's fan favorite.

10. Kombucha Float

Eat Healthy Kauai

Homemade mixed merry ice cream drenched in locally made ginger-berry kombucha—what’s not to like? This probiotic punch with make both your taste buds and your gut happy.

11. Nonna’s Lasagna

La Spezia

This family recipe folds four cheeses, spinach, zucchini and bechamel into a layered bed of lasagna noodles and comes served with your choice of spicy arrabbiata or bolognese sauce.

12. Poke Bowl

Ishihara Market

Ask any local, and they’ll tell you that the best poke on Kauai is found at Ishihara Market, a mom-and-pop store founded in 1934 by Japanese immigrants.

13. Saimin

Hamura’s Saimin

This no-frills lunch counter is Kauai’s indisputed top spot for a bowl of the iconic Hawaiian-style noodle soup.

14. Chicken Wings

Happy Talk Lounge

Made with a piping hot yet flavorful chocolate habanero sauce by Kauai Juice Co., these wings are a spicy food lover’s dream.

15. Koloa Rum Braised Pork Belly

The Local

This meal of pork belly is enhanced with the flavors of local rum, jicama, pineapple and pickled mustard seeds. It all comes together to make for a one-of-a-kind dish.

16. Loco Moco

Anuenue Cafe

Loco moco just might be the perfect island-style breakfast. Anuenue Cafe’s take on the local favorite marries a spread of Kauai ground beef, rice, two eggs and Kauai-grown mushrooms with a generous helping of thick, homemade gravy.

17. Hanalei Jerk Ragout

Oasis on the Beach

This dish of Kauai-raised ground buffalo meat comes with achiote-scented rice and soybean and cassava bammy, a traditional Jamaican flatbread.